Grand Canyon National Park to reopen South Rim hotels this week

PHOENIX — The National Park Service will start reopening hotels on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim beginning Wednesday.

Officials are easing water restrictions after crews repaired major issues with the 12.5-mile-long Transcanyon Waterline last week.

The damaged section had forced the park to suspend overnight hotel stays on Dec. 6. This problem was linked to three significant breaks along the pipes since late October.

After repairs, water began refilling the South Rim’s storage tanks, and as of Monday, no new breaks have been found, officials said.

How will this impact visitors?

Dry camping is still permitted, but water spigots at both Mather Campground and Desert View Campground will stay turned off. However, campers can use water at the dump station near the Mather Campground Kiosk.

Starting Wednesday, visitors can reserve overnight accommodations at park lodges, including:

• El Tovar
• Bright Angel Lodge
• Maswik Lodge
• Yavapai Lodge
• Trailer Village

For now, the park will keep enhanced water restrictions until the tanks reach safe levels, then return to normal conservation practices. Park officials said this step toward reducing restrictions helps restore park operations while ensuring water resources remain sustainable.

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